Refrigerator evaporator



Sept.. l, 1936. c. STEENSTRUP Y REFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR Filed Feb. 24, 1953 .fill

Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT `FFICIE.

` BEFRIGERATOR EVAPORATOR Christian Steenstrup, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1933, Serial No. 658,321

20 Claims. (Cl. 62-126) My invention relates to ooded evaporators for refrigerating systems having an arrangement for inducing circulation of the liquid vrefrigerant therein.

In evaporators of the flooded type having a header and a depending body provided with passages or tubes wherein liquid refrigerant is circulated, itis the 'practice to depend upon the difference in temperature between various parts of the evaporator and evaporation of refrigerant -therein to effect circulation of the liquid refrigerant. The circulation produced in this manner is often not suiiicient and is also not uniform,y and for this reason it is desirable to provide some means for directing and increasing the circula tion of refrigerant in the evaporator.

It is an object of' my invention to provide an evaporator of the flooded type having a header and a depending circulartory passage for liquid refrigerant wherein circulation is induced in these passages by injecting liquid refrigerant.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical construction for evaporators of the iioodedv type having a device for injecting refrigerant into the evaporator to induce circulation of liquid refrigerant therein. y

Further objects and advantages ofv my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which'characterize my invention will be pointedl out with particularlty in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.I

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective rear view of a sheet metal evaporator embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the injector shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the evaporator shown in Fig. 1 lalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation view of a household refrigerator employing an evaporator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, in Fig. 1 I have shown a iiooded evaporator comprising a cylindrical header or evaporatlng chamber I0 and a depending body `Il forming al freezing zone box shaped to receive and support articles such as freezing trays. The depending body Il comprises an inner shell I2 and an oter corrugated shell I3 secured together to form a plurality of circuitous refrigerant circulating passages, ducts or conduits I4. These passages or tubes communicate at the opposite ends thereof with the header below the liquid level therein, which is 1 the orifices.

maintained approximately as indicated by the line Illa in Fig. 1. This evaporator is of the same general construction as the sheet metal evaporator disclosed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 389,050, filed August 28, 1929, and assigned to the same' assignee as the 'present invention.

The inner shell or wall I2 of the depending body I I is also provided with a transverseiiute or corrugation I5 on one side and above the bot- 10 tom or lowermost portion thereof, which constitutes a refrigerant entry chamber. I supply liquid refrigerant to the evaporator through a tube or liquid return duct I6 closed at one end by a plug I1 and arranged in the transverse iiute 15 I5 out of the path of the liquid circulating in the passages I4. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the tube I6 enters the iiute I5 at `I8 where a sleeve I9 is fitted over the tube and spaces it from the side of the iiute. The tube, sleeve, and evaporator shell 20 are secured together by welding, brazing, or any other suitable method which provides fluid. tightA joints. 'Ihe tube I6 is provided with a plurality of orifices 20, one opposite each of the passages I4 for supplying refrigerant equably to the pas- 25 lsages I4 which are connected in parallel or mul- 1y through the passages I4 from the header about the bottom of the evaporator and upwardly past passages' is carried with the liquid refrigerant to the header where the vapor separates from the circulating liquid and accumulates in the headl er above the level of liquid refrigerant therein.

This refrigerant, which is converted to vapor 45 inet 24 vwithin which is arranged an evaporator 55 The refrigerant vaporized in the 40 constructed in accordance with my invention. In the operation of the refrigerating system shown in Fig. 4, gaseous refrigerant is converted to liquid refrigerant by being compressed and condense-d in the compressor and condenser unit 23, and then the condensed liquid refrigerant flows through a flow-control device and partially vaporizes, from which the liquid and vapor flows through the conduit 26 to an injector within the flute I5 in the depending body Il of the evaporator within the refrigerator cabinet. Liquid and vaporized refrigerant enters the evaporator through the orifices 20 shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and induces an upward ow of refrigerant on the left-hand side of the evaporator, as viewed in Fig. 4. The refrigerant will circulate in a clockwise direction through the evaporator, as viewed in Fig. 4, and as it circulates, will absorb heat from the ice trays 21 and air circulated in. the refrigerator cabinet. 'Ihis evaporates a portion of the refrigerant and the vapor collects in the header I0. The vapor will then be drawn back into the compressor and condenser unit through a conduit 28. 'Ihis cycle will be repeated throughout the operation of the refrigerating system. The forced circulation of the liquid refrigerant induced by the injection of refrigerant e through the tube I 6 results in increased efficiency in the operation of the evaporator.

It is apparent that I have provided a simple and effective means for inducing circulation of refrigerant in evaporators of the flooded type which comprise a header and depending refrigerant circulating passages opening into the header.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with a sheet metal evaporator of a specific type, it will be understood that it is applicable to other types of evaporators, and I do not desire my invention to be limited to the specic construction shown and described, and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications thereof which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States. is:

1. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines including a header having depending refrigerant passages opening into said header and extending throughout their length below the liquid level in said header, and means for admitting liquid refrigerant into said evaporator and for injecting said refrigerant into said passages below said header and above the lowermost portion of said passages. I

2. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines including a header having dependent refrigerant passages opening at the opposite ends thereof into said header lbelow the liquid level in said header, and means for injecting liquid refrigerant into said passages below said header and above the lowermost portion of said passages.

3. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and depending inner and outer walls having a plurality of refrigerant passages opening into said header, a transverse flute formed in one of said walls, and means including'a tube arranged in said flute and having a plurality of openings therein aligned with said passages for admitting liquid refrigerant to said evaporator and for inducing circulation of liquid refrigerant through said passages.

4. A flooded evaporator comprising inner and outer shells, one of said shells having a plurality of corrugations forming passages between sam shells, a header connected to and communicating with said passages at both ends thereof, a transverse corrugation formed in one of said shells below said header and communicating with said passages, and means including a tube arranged within said transverse corrugation and having orifices directed into said passages for injecting liquid refrigerant into said passages andfor inducing the circulation of liquid refrigerant in said evaporator.

5. A flooded evaporator comprising a header and a plurality of tubes communicating at both ends with said header and enclosing aY space for freezing trays, and means including a transverse tube communicating with said tubes for inducing a recirculation of liquid refrigerant through said evaporator.

6. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and a plurality ofv depending refrigerant conduits opening into said header, and means for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said conduits and for producing a circulation of liquid refrigerant through said conduits and past said means.

'7. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and a plurality of depending refrigerant conduits opening into said header, and means arranged transversely of said conduits for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said conduits and for producing a circulation of liquid refrigerant through said conduits and past said means.

8. A ooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and a depending refrigerant circulating portion, said refrigerant circulating portion comprising a pair of metal walls secured together and having a plurality of parallel passages formed therebetween, and means extending between said metal walls for injecting liquid refrigerant into a, plurality of said parallel passages and for producing a circulation of liquid refrigerant through said passages and past said means.

9. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and a depending refrigerant circulating portion, said refrigerant circulating portion comprising a pair of metal walls secured together and having a plurality'of parallel passages formed therebetween, a transverse passage connecting said parallel passages, and means arranged in said transverse passage for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said parallel passages and for producing a circulation of liquid refrigerant through said passages and past said means.

l0. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header containing liquid refrigerant and a plurality of refrigerant circulating conduits communicating at both ends with said header and extending entirely below the liquid level in said header, and means for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said conduits and ,for producing a circulation of liquid refrigerant through said conduits and past said means.

11. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header and a depending refrigerant circulating portion, said refrigerant circulating portion comprising a pair of metal walls secured together and having a plurality of par.- allel passages formed therebetween and communicating at both ends with sailwheader, a transverse passage connecting said parallel passages, and means arranged in said transverse passage for injecting liquid refrigerant into a header, and means including a tube arranged.

transversely of said conduits and having orices opening into a plurality of said conduits for admitting liquid refrigerant to said evaporator and for producing a recirculation of liquid refrigeranty through said conduits and past said tube.

13. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising a header anda plurality of depending refrigerant conduits communicating at both ends-with said-header, and means including a tube arranged transversely of said conduits and having orifices opening into a plurality of said conduits for admitting liquid refrigerant to said evaporator and for producing a recirculation of liquid refrigerant through said conduits and past said tube to said header.

14. A flooded evaporator for refrigerating machines comprising sheet metal walls secured together andk forming a header and a depending refrigerantcirculating portion, refrigerant passages formed between said walls in said depending portion, a transverse flute formed in one of said walls and connecting said passages, and means arranged within said flute for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said passages.

A oodedevaporator for refrigerating machines includingV a header containing liquid refrigerant and having depending refrigerant circulating conduits communicating therewith below the liquid level in saidheader, means providing communication between said conduits below said header, and means arranged within said irst named means for injecting liquid refrigerant into a plurality of said conduits.

16. In a refrigerating system including a circuit containing a fluid refrigerant, a heat absorbing circuit connected to and forming a part of said system circuit, said heat absorbing circuit comprising an evaporating chamber and a group of circuitous ducts connected to said chamber. and an entry chamber connected to each-of said ducts at a point near the lowermost portion of said ducts for passage o'fliquid refrigerant from said entry chamber into said ducts to induce a circulation of the liquid refrigerant in saidducts and said evaporatingchamber, said system circuit being connected to -said chambers.

17. vIn a, refrigerating system, an evaporator comprising an evaporating chamber provided with an outlet for the discharge of vapors produced in said chamber, a group of circuitous ducts the refrigerant.

connected with the lower portion of said chamber and serving for the circulation of a liquid refrigerant in said .ducts and said chamber, an entry chamber located just above the lowermost portion of said ducts and communicating with each of said ducts for supplying the liquid refrigerant to said ducts at said point and for inducing a circulation in the circuit of said ducts and evaporating chamber,said entry chamber having an inlet for the entry of the liquid refrigerant from a condensing part of said system.

18. An evaporating and circulating means for a refrigerating system having a freezing zone box, comprising an evaporating chamber above the box, a group of circulating ducts surrounding the box and connected to the chamber to form a circuit with the chamber for the circulation of a refrigerant in said circuit. an inlet duct at the side of the box and connected to said circulating ducts for supplying the refrigerant to each and all of said circulating ducts and for inducing a circulation of the refrigerant in the circuit of said circulating ducts, said evaporating chamber having an outlet for the passage of the vapors produced in said evaporating chamber.

19. In a refrigerating system having an evaporator chamber, a liquid circulating inducing means comprising an entry chamber for receiving a liquid refrigerant, and spaced circulating ducts having ends thereof extending into said chamber, said entry chamber being located above but adjacent to the lowermost portion of said ducts.

20. A refrigerating system comprising a closed circuit containing a quantity of a refrigerant adapted to evaporate at sub-atmospheric pressure and at sub-normal temperatures, said circuit including means for converting the refrigerant from liquid to vaporous states and from vaporous to liquid state, said circuit including an evaporating and circulating circuit comprising an evaporating chamber and circuitous ducts connected to said chamber and forming therewith said evaporating and circulating circuit, said closed circuit including a duct connected to said chamber and said converting means for the conductingI of vapors from said chamber to said converting means, and a return duct connected to said converting means and to said circuitous ducts for supplying the refrigerant thereto and for inducing a circulation in the evaporating and circulating circuit, said return duct being connected in multiple with said circuitous ducts and at a point above but adjacent to the lowermost point of said circuit whereby said circuitous ducts are equably supplied with CHRISTIAN STEENSTRUP. 

